A Court of Thorns and Roses

When 19-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution for it. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows about from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin - one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled their world.

Daughter of the Pirate King

Sent on a mission to retrieve an ancient hidden map - the key to a legendary treasure trove - 17-year-old pirate captain Alosa deliberately allows herself to be captured by her enemies, giving her the perfect opportunity to search their ship. More than a match for the ruthless pirate crew, Alosa has only one thing standing between her and the map: her captor, the unexpectedly clever and unfairly attractive first mate Riden. But not to worry, for Alosa has a few tricks up her sleeve, and no lone pirate can stop the Daughter of the Pirate King.

Roar: Stealing Storms, Book 1

Aurora Pavan comes from one of the oldest Stormling families in existence. Long ago, the ungifted pledged fealty and service to her family in exchange for safe haven, and a kingdom was carved out from the wildlands and sustained by magic capable of repelling the world's deadliest foes. As the sole heir of Pavan, Aurora's been groomed to be the perfect queen. She's intelligent and brave and honorable. But she's yet to show any trace of the magic she'll need to protect her people.

Trickery: Curse of the Gods, Book 1

In Minatsol, being a dweller means that you are literally no better than dirt. In fact, dirt might actually be more useful than Willa. Her life will be one of servitude to the sols, the magic-blessed beings who could one day be chosen to become gods. At least her outer village is far removed from the cities of the sols, and she won't ever be forced to present herself to them... Until one small mistake changes everything, and Willa is awarded a position to serve at Blesswood, the top sol academy in the world - a position that she definitely did not earn.

The Hundredth Queen

As an orphan ward of the Sisterhood in the ancient Tarachand Empire, eighteen-year-old Kalinda is destined for nothing more than a life of seclusion and prayer. Plagued by fevers, she's an unlikely candidate for even a servant's position, let alone a courtesan or wife. Her sole dream is to continue living in peace in the Sisterhood's mountain temple. But a visit from the tyrant Rajah Tarek disrupts Kalinda's life. Within hours, she is ripped from the comfort of her home.

Passenger, Book 1

Violin prodigy Etta Spencer had big plans for her future, but a tragedy has put her once-bright career at risk. Closely tied to her musical skill, however, is a mysterious power she doesn't even know she has. When her two talents collide during a stressful performance, Etta is drawn back hundreds of years through time.

Caraval

Scarlett has never left the tiny island where she and her beloved sister, Tella, live with their powerful - and cruel - father. Now Scarlett's father has arranged a marriage for her, and Scarlett thinks her dreams of seeing Caraval, the faraway once-a-year performance where the audience participates in the show, are over. But this year Scarlett's long dreamt of invitation finally arrives. With the help of a mysterious sailor, Tella whisks Scarlett away to the show. Only as soon as they arrive, Tella is kidnapped by Caraval's mastermind organizer, Legend.

The Bone Witch: The Bone Witch, Book 1

When Tea accidentally resurrects her brother from the dead, she learns she is different from the other witches in her family. Her gift for necromancy means that she's a bone witch, a title that makes her feared and ostracized by her community. But Tea finds solace and guidance with an older, wiser bone witch, who takes Tea and her brother to another land for training.

Sara Lester-Vanderheide says:"The Bone Witch - A series with potential"

Naked in Death: In Death, Book 1

Eve Dallas is a New York police lieutenant hunting for a ruthless killer. In over 10 years on the force, she's seen it all - and knows that her survival depends on her instincts. And she's going against every warning telling her not to get involved with Roarke, an Irish billionaire - and suspect in Eve's murder investigation. But passion and seduction have rules of their own, and it's up to Eve to take a chance in the arms of a man she knows nothing about - except the addictive hunger of needing his touch.

Truthwitch: The Witchlands, Book 1

On a continent ruled by three empires, some are born with a "witchery", a magical skill that sets them apart from others. In the Witchlands, there are almost as many types of magic as there are ways to get in trouble - as two desperate young women know all too well. Safiya is a Truthwitch, able to discern truth from lie. It's a powerful magic that many would kill to have on their side, especially among the nobility to which Safi was born. So Safi must keep her gift hidden, lest she be used as a pawn in the struggle between empires.

Paper Princess

These Royals will ruin you...Ella Harper is a survivor - a pragmatic optimist. She's spent her whole life moving from town to town with her flighty mother, struggling to make ends meet and believing that someday she'll climb out of the gutter. After her mother's death, Ella is truly alone. Until Callum Royal appears, plucking Ella out of poverty and tossing her into his posh mansion among his five sons who all hate her. Each Royal boy is more magnetic than the last, but none as captivating as Reed Royal, the boy who is determined to send her back to the slums.

The Forgetting

Seventeen-year-old Nadia lives in Canaan, a quiet city in an idyllic world, hemmed in by high walls that are constructed of a material no one in her town recognizes. Every 12 years the people of Canaan undergo a collective Forgetting; in the days before, the town devolves into a chaos of bloody violence, and afterward the people are left without any trace of memory of themselves, their families, their lives. Nadia has never forgotten, however.

Strange the Dreamer

The dream chooses the dreamer, not the other way around - and Lazlo Strange, war orphan and junior librarian, has always feared that his dream chose poorly. Since he was five years old, he's been obsessed with the mythic lost city of Weep, but it would take someone bolder than he to cross half the world in search of it. Then a stunning opportunity presents itself in the person of a hero called the Godslayer and a band of legendary warriors, and he has to seize his chance or lose his dream forever.

An Ember in the Ashes

Laia is a Scholar living under the iron-fisted rule of the Martial Empire. When her brother is arrested for treason, Laia goes undercover as a slave at the empire's greatest military academy in exchange for assistance from rebel Scholars who claim that they will help to save her brother from execution.

The Crown's Game

Vika Andreyeva can summon the snow and turn ash into gold. Nikolai Karimov can see through walls and conjure bridges out of thin air. They are enchanters - the only two in Russia - and with the Ottoman Empire and the Kazakhs threatening, the tsar needs a powerful enchanter by his side.

Six of Crows

Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price - and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can't pull it off alone.

The Assassin's Blade: The Throne of Glass Novellas

Celaena Sardothien is her kingdom's most feared assassin. Though she works for the powerful and ruthless Assassin's Guild, Celaena yields to no one and trusts only her fellow killer for hire, Sam. When Celaena's scheming master, Arobynn Hamel, dispatches her on missions that take her from remote islands to hostile deserts, she finds herself acting independently of his wishes - and questioning her own allegiance. Along the way, she makes friends and enemies alike, and discovers that she feels far more for Sam than just friendship.

Three Dark Crowns

In every generation on the island of Fennbirn, a set of triplets is born: three queens, all equal heirs to the crown and each possessor of a coveted magic. But becoming the Queen Crowned isn't solely a matter of royal birth. Each sister has to fight for it. And it's not just a game of win or lose...it's life or death. The night the sisters turn 16, the battle begins. The last queen standing gets the crown.

Stalking Jack the Ripper

Seventeen-year-old Audrey Rose Wadsworth was born a lord's daughter, with a life of wealth and privilege stretched out before her. But between the social teas and silk dress fittings, she leads a forbidden secret life. Against her stern father's wishes and society's expectations, Audrey often slips away to her uncle's laboratory to study the gruesome practice of forensic medicine. Audrey's work on a string of savagely killed corpses drags her into the investigation of a serial murderer.

The Island of Dr. Moreau [Classic Tales Edition]

After many days at sea, Edward Prendick is picked up by a schooner transporting exotic animals to an undisclosed location. On this secret island he is forced to disembark, catching faint glimpses of creatures born from nightmares.

The Gender Game

A toxic river divides nineteen-year-old Violet Bates's world by gender. Women rule the East. Men rule the West. Welcome to the lands of Matrus and Patrus. Ever since the disappearance of her beloved younger brother, Violet's life has been consumed by an anger she struggles to control. Already a prisoner to her own nation, now she has been sentenced to death for her crimes. But one decision could save her life. To enter the kingdom of Patrus, where men rule and women submit. Everything about the patriarchy is dangerous for a rebellious girl like Violet.

The Girl of Fire and Thorns

Once a century, one person is chosen for greatness. Elisa is the chosen one. But she is also the younger of two princesses. The one who has never done anything remarkable, and can't see how she ever will. Now, on her 16th birthday, she has become the secret wife of a handsome and worldly king - a king whose country is in turmoil. A king who needs her to be the chosen one. And he's not the only one who seeks her. Savage enemies, seething with dark magic,are hunting her.

The Diviners

Something dark and evil has awakened.... Evie O'Neill has been exiled from her boring old hometown and shipped off to the bustling streets of New York City - and she is pos-i-tute-ly ecstatic. It's 1926, and New York is filled with speakeasies, Ziegfeld girls, and rakish pickpockets. The only catch is that she has to live with her uncle Will and his unhealthy obsession with the occult. Evie worries her uncle will discover her darkest secret: a supernatural power that has only brought her trouble so far.

Graceling

Set in a world where some people are born with a Grace - a unique, sometimes uncanny, gift - this is the story of Katsa, whose Grace, demonstrated at an uncomfortably early age, is for killing. This makes her a perfect tool for her uncle, King Randa But Katsa chafes at the way she is being used - and even more at the injustices she sees around her.Then she meets Prince Po, who has a Grace to match hers...

Publisher's Summary

Sixteen-year-old Juliet Moreau has built a life for herself in London - working as a maid, attending church on Sundays, and trying not to think about the scandal that ruined her life. After all, no one ever proved the rumors about her father's gruesome experiments. But when she learns he is alive and continuing his work on a remote tropical island, she is determined to find out if the accusations are true.

Accompanied by her father's handsome young assistant, Montgomery, and an enigmatic castaway, Edward - both of whom she is deeply drawn to - Juliet travels to the island, only to discover the depths of her father's madness: He has experimented on animals so that they resemble, speak, and behave as humans. And worse, one of the creatures has turned violent and is killing the island's inhabitants. Torn between horror and scientific curiosity, Juliet knows she must end her father's dangerous experiments and escape her jungle prison before it's too late. Yet as the island falls into chaos, she discovers the extent of her father's genius - and madness - in her own blood.

Inspired by H. G. Wells's classic The Island of Dr. Moreau, The Madman's Daughter is a dark and breathless Gothic thriller about the secrets we'll do anything to know and the truths we'll go to any lengths to protect.

This is a grand time passing book. Will it unlock the secrets of the universe, or blow your mind? No. It's a good STORY. By contemporary standards, maybe a bit slow... but that's part of its charm. This takes a story from 19th century literature, and brings it forward a bit in style.

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

The viewpoint shift to the 16 year old daughter, who is also highly analytical, provides a great point/counterpoint to the classic either-or viewpoint. Instead of a supremely mature storyteller, or a "oh no, she's not going to do THAT?!" version of the teen...we get to see a girl react with a split nature to emotional and moral quandaries... that force her to override her instinctive reactions with reasoning.

What does Lucy Rayner bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Lucy approaches this book with a rare feel for pacing. Much as the 19th century feel gives it a slower pace than a modern book, Lucy does not rush, yet she clearly has a PURPOSE in her narration. She almost... STALKS her way through the book, careful, and precise, and not rushing, but with a sense of urgency behind the words.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

The 19th century science fiction of the story's seed remains, which always makes me chuckle. Much as with Star Trek, there's a bit of "well, we used a modified tachyon pulse!" simplicity to the science... which is very in keeping with the story's origin. "Simple dear fellow... a proper surgeon can accomplish anything!"

Any additional comments?

Well worth the time and money, you should not look for the next modern English MUST READ here, but you will not feel cheated in any way. If you do? You should re-evaluate your relationship to fiction.

What does Lucy Rayner bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The voices and accents of the characters. She does a great job.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Nothing extreme, but it definitely had me on the edge of my car seat on several occasions.

Any additional comments?

I really enjoyed this book, it was dark and mysterious and altogether bizarre. I loved the characters and the story, and I was intrigued the whole time. The book is not without it's faults though. I had a hard time suspending my belief with the nature of the experiments, and I'm not even a science person. But I can't go into detail and explain without giving away major spoilers so I'll just have to leave it at that. The same goes for the ending. Some might say it's a minor detail and easily overlooked, but to me it was like a waving red flag, and it made me seriously question Montgomery's and intelligence. Still, in spite of those flaws, I think the book is great and I can't wait to start book 2.

One of my biggest pet peeves is when a promising story gives caves to a romance. This story was no exception. Juliet is smart, a survivor, has no hesitation in disfiguring a superior to avoid unwanted sexual attention- all the makings of a strong herione. Her father is a quack scientist with his own island where he conducts horrific experiments, but plot quickly starts focusing on her torn feelings between her father's young assistant and a young man that was rescued at sea.

Don't get me wrong, if I were younger and didn't mind a bit of romance, I would probably eat this up- but I lost interest 3 hours in. I can't finish it.

Now that book was bizarre! I don’t even know how to review this book. And how the heck does a book end like that? I wouldn’t say that I’m too shocked by the ending because I should have seen it coming from a mile away. But, really? What the heck is going to happen now? And how the heck is this whole thing going to work out? You’re probably wondering why I’m asking all this; well, how about you read The Madman’s Daughter and maybe then you can give me some answers.

I can’t decide what part of the book was most bizarre. I’m sitting here putting all the pieces of the story together in my head, but I just can’t decide. The beginning of the book had a number of very disturbing things that happened, but then there are other disturbing things, on a whole-nuther level of bizarre, that happen all throughout the story. Then there was this big revelation that I put together probably earlier than I should have (I think it was supposed to be a twist but it was also very bizarre), and then that ending. What? OK. Really? Whatever.

I could go through all the characters that I liked, disliked or I’m unsure about, but I want to refrain from spoilers. And telling you anything about the characters at all might cause a spoiler.

Once again we have a love triangle, but most of the time I was wondering what’s the point of the love triangle because it wasn’t really much of a competition. But I love how it was brought around full circle in the end. Very well done.

I’m really looking forward to knowing what’s going to happen to this person and that person…and what will happen to all the bizarre stuff...and all those things I can’t really talk about. LOL

Would you consider the audio edition of The Madman's Daughter to be better than the print version?

Nothing could be better than holding the print in your hand and imagining the story, I'm old fashioned like that. But the performance was great i couldn't of asked for more.

What other book might you compare The Madman's Daughter to and why?

Not sure what to compare it with, it was like nothing i've ever read before. It could be compared to and suspense novel i suppose but this was so unique and so much more.

Which character – as performed by Lucy Rayner – was your favorite?

As the main character of the book i do like the way Juliet Moreau is portrayed, totally hooked me onto the story.Montgomery was also my favorite but that could also be due to how the author portrayed him in the story.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

There was alot of great moment, definitely one of my favorite new read. I liked the waterfall scene between Juliet and Edward.The lie scene where Juliet is forced to lie to Balthazar And the destruction scene in the laboratory.

these were strong and well described scene that stuck with me.

Any additional comments?

Loved it, the suspense the love triangle, everything was up to my expectation if not better. It is very twisted, in the best way possible.

This book was a book of the month selection by my book club and I would have not read it with out it being brought to my attention. The Madman's Daughter is a story of Juliet Moreau. The last name sound familiar? It should because her papa is the famous Dr. Moreau of The Island of Dr. Moreau. Yep the same one. If you did not read it, don't worry you can still read this book and know what is going on. Juliet works as a maid at a medical college after her father leaves the family in the mist of a huge scandal to fend for themselves. 16 years old Juliet thinks her father is not dead despite the rumors when she runs into Montgomery, an ex-house servant of her family. This part was way to easy and feel into place to quickly for me. She just happens to find a small clue and runs to his hotel. BAM! There he is. WOW! That was easy. Anyways, Juliet quickly conveniences Montgomery to take her to her father. Once the author gets to the journey part of the story it gets good. This audiobook has a lot of Victorian medical treatments and sensibilities that I thought were cute and very appropriate throughout the book. As in most if not all YA books out now there is a love triangle. Yep, Juliet is (for most of the book) torn between Montgomery and Edward. I thought this one was well written because the reader feels a bit of her love for both and the confusion in picking one over the other. But I have to say that the whole boy issue seemed to be put in the story as an last minute item to make it YA. The book would have flowed better with out it.Most bloggers/reviewer have labeled this book as horror but I don't see it the same way. To me Stephen King is horror and this was more of less kiddie scare due to the unseen monster that kills at random. The narrator of this audiobook has a great young Scottish (?) accent that gives the book genuine quality.

For the most part, I tend to listen to the recommendations of my friends – even when the books don’t sound particularly interesting. I’m not a big fan of the “classics” (maybe because I haven’t read that many of them?), but decided to give this book a chance because I usually like historical fictions and science fiction as well. And while this book was definitely different and I liked the premise, I didn’t feel like the story was that compelling. I mean, NOTHING happened so I got kind of bored – maybe I needed more of a plot-driven book, but the book was painfully slow.

Even with its slowness and lack of action, there are tons of morsels to take with you after you’ve finished reading.

Scientific progressiveness – in that time period, yes – but also think about science today and how much “innovation” there is. One man’s innovation is another man’s idea of unethical. Just google “vivisection”.

Men, beasts, civility, and savageness – and how all of these can be interwoven and are not always as they seem. How community plays into all of this.

Tons of biblical references. Juliet’s father playing God with creating these “beasts”. Laws and divine law. The idea that humans are by nature corrupt.

Like I said, lots of goodies to think about – but I just didn’t think that this book had the oompf it needed to capture the young adult audience’s attention. With that said, I did read the second book in the series, Her Dark Curiosity, which I found much better than this one.